1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a virtual space system having a chat function, a virtual space control device, a virtual space control method, and a recording medium, and particularly to a virtual space system in which only a chat in a restricted region is recorded, a virtual space control device, a virtual space control method, and a recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute the function.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the advance of an electric communication information network such as the Internet, communication through a chat using electric communication means has become popular. The chat is a system in which a plurality of users connect with a predetermined server through an electric communication line and documents are transmitted and received in real time through the server to have a conversation. Although the mainstream of a conventional chat function is such that text information composed of only documents is exchanged to have a conversation, in recent years, there has appeared such a visual chat that a virtual space is formed on a server, a user makes a character (hereinafter referred to as an avatar) acting for the user himself or herself join in the virtual space, and the user has a chat with an avatar of another user while operating his or her avatar in the virtual space. In such a visual chat, since the user moves his avatar in the virtual space and can have a chat with another avatar upon which the user comes across in the virtual space, it is possible to have the chat in an atmosphere closer to an actual conversation than a conventional form.
Although the contents of documents exchanged through the chat in this way are recorded in the server, according to circumstances, there also occurs a case where the contents of all chats performed in the virtual space are not recorded but only the contents of a chat performed in a restricted region are recorded. In the case where an attempt is made to record only the contents of a chat made in the restricted region like this, conventionally, such a method as to construct one virtual space by a plurality of servers and to record the chat contents in each server has been carried out.
However, in the method of using the plurality of servers, there is a problem that a chat with an avatar belonging to another server can not be made.
Besides, in this method, there is a problem that the plurality of servers must be started, so that the system can not be made simple.